Game apparatus



s p 24, 194W c. c. CARTER 2,215,687

* GAME APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1959 z Sheetssheaf 1 Sept. 24. 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet -2 lid Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED VSTAT'ES rm'reu'rOFFICE 2 Claims.

lvly invention relates to that class of so-called parlor game apparatusin which the contending players use paddles on paddle rods forpropelling a light weight ball such as a ping-pong'ball toward and intoa goal at the end of the playing field.

The object of my invention is to provide a game apparatus of this classby-means of which the players may develop and utilize a high degree ofskill in impelling the ball longitudinally of the playing held by aswinging movement of the paddles, transversely by a sliding movement oi.the-paddles, and diagonally of the field by striking the ball with thebeveled sides of the blades, and a twisting motion or English may beapplied to the ball by striking the ball with a beveled surface of thepaddle by a twisting motion or the paddle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows a'perspective view of my improved game apparatus;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail top view with a portion of one of thepaddle rods oi a paddle secured thereto;

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Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail view oi. a portion of one oi thepaddlerods of a paddle secured thereto, and showing the front or ballstrilringiace oi the paddle;

Figure it shows an edge view of same, the position of the paddle beingshown by dotted lines in various positions oi its adjustment;

Figure 5 shows an enlarged detail view, partly in section, illustratinga modified form oi the player-protecting. heads mounted on the paddlerods;

Figure 6 shows a top view of my improved game apparatus, the position ofsome of the paddle rods being shown by dotted lines in position wherethey will be moved by the players. The arrows in said figure indicatethe various angles at which the ball can be driven by the paddles duringthe various movements of the paddles;

Figure-'7 shows a central longitudinal sectional view oi the playingfield and upright members with the upright side member shown in anelevated position;

Figured shows a vertical longitudinal view of my improved gameapparatus;

Figure 9 shows an enlarged detail view i1lustrating a modified form inwhich the paddles are yieldingly supported upon the paddle rods; and

Figure 10 shows a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a modified formof the striking face of the paddle.

My improved game apparatus comprises a playing field member 10 which ispreferably smooth and flat. At the ends thereof there are the uprightend members ii, each of which has a goal opening it, and a pocket it forthe ball, which is indicated. by the reference numeral it.

As illustrated in Figure '7, the upright side members it are formed withrounded notches at ill, equally spaced apart, and a bar ii is detachablymounted above the side member it by means of the screws it, and this barhas rounded notches ill.

Mounted in the notches it and iii are the paddle rods 2%. These aresmooth and round and have free longitudinal sliding movements in theside Walls, and are also capable of freely rotating. One end of each rodis termed the handle end, and on the other there is a player-protectinghead. This, as shown in Figure d, comprises a rounded metal disc it heldto the end of the rod by a screw ii, and it is in diameter much largerthan the rod and serves the purpose oi preventing injury to players whenthe rod is pushed rapidly in a direction away from the side wall oi thegame device.

On each of the paddle rods there are two paddles, spaced apart from eachother and so positioned on the rod that they will engage one or theother of the side walls it when the rod is moved to its limit ineitherdirection. The body of the paddle is indicated by the referencenumeral it. This is formed with a notch at one side to receive a paddlerod, as shown. in Figure l, and it is held to the paddle red by thescrew it. Each paddle has a vertical, centrally-arranged striking i'aceillustrated in Figure 3 by the reference numeral it, and on oppositesides are the inclined striking faces it which extend outwardly andrearwardly relative to the face it.

In the modified iorm'shown in Figure 10 I have shown another strikingface ill in the form of an are.

In the modified form shown in Figure 9 the paddle is held to the rod bya bolt 2d, and this bolt is arranged to permit a slight rotary movementor the paddle relative to the rod. An extensile coil spring 29 isapplied to the bolt and bears against the adjacent surface of the paddlefor yieldingly holding the paddle relative to the paddle rod.

In practice, and when it is desired to assemble the game apparatus, thebars ll are first removed and the paddle rods with their paddles fixedthereon are mounted in the notches it, and the bars ii are then screwedto the upright side walls. This makes it easy for an operator to removethe paddle rods and place them upon ill dill

l-lti lib the playing field within the uprights for shipping andstoring.

The arrangement of the paddles upon the paddle rods is shown in Figure6. The paddle rod at the right has the paddles on the'side away from theadjacent goal as the operator of this paddle rod is always striving todrive the ball away from his goal. Each alternate paddle rod has thepaddles arranged in the same way and preferably the alternate paddlerods are made of different colors so that the players may not becomeconfused as to which paddle rods belong to him.

The game may be played by two or more persons, and the ball which isused is very light and resilient and is of the kind commonly known asping-pong balls. To commence play, the ball is dropped in the center ofthe playing field and then the players move the paddle rods both with asliding longitudinal movement and with a rotary movement for driving theball toward an opponents goal. I have found in practice that a playersoon learns to utilize the paddles for applying a number of differentkinds of movement to the ball. For instance, when the ball is close tothe striking face of the paddle, the operator simply imparts a rotarymotion to the paddle rod and drives the ball straight forwardlylongitudinally of the field, as indicated by the arrow 30 in Figure 6.In some instances it is desirable to drive the ball diagonally towardone of the side walls, and this is done by moving the paddle rodlongitudinally and causing the in clined side striking face to engagethe ball, as shown by the arrow 3| in Figure 6. Furthermore, I havefound in practice that the player, by skilful manipulation of the paddlemay, by means of a combined lengthwise rotary and sliding movement ofthe paddle, cause the inclined side edge of a paddle to strike a. balland give it a. twisting motion corresponding to the so-called English"which is imparted to balls in billiard games.

The object of the game is to place the ball in the opponent's goalpocket.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a game apparatus, a playing field, upright side members at thesides thereof, a series of paddle rods slidingly and rotatably mountedin the side members, and paddles carried by the rods, each paddle beingformed with a notch at its rear upper portion to receive the paddle rod,a bolt extended through the rod and paddle and permitting a limitedrotary movement of the paddle relative to the rod, and a spring carriedby the bolt and pressing against the paddle for yieldingly holding thepaddle toward the rod.

2. In a game apparatus, a playing field having upright sides, a seriesof paddle rods rotatably and longitudinally slidably mounted in saidupright sides, paddles carried by the paddle rods and having a fiatstriking face parallel with the paddle rod and fiat striking faces atthe sides thereof, inclined outwardly and rearwardly from the firstmentioned striking face.

CHARLES C. CARTER.

